The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of apricot tree, herein after referred to by the cultivar name ‘Suaprieleven’. The new variety was first originated by hybridized in April 2009 by Terry A. Bacon as breeder number: ‘AP1036’.
The new variety is characterized by having large fruit (averaging approximately 60 mm in diameter) with an orange ground color and abundant red blush. The fruit of the new variety has a thick, slightly tart skin, a slight aroma, and moderate juiciness. The fruit of the new variety ‘Suaprieleven’ ripens very early in the season. Harvesting of ‘Suaprieleven’ takes place approximately nine days earlier than ‘Suaprinine’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,507) and the fruit ripens about the same time as ‘Poppy’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,593).
The seed parent is ‘Suaprinine’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,507), and the pollen parent is unknown, coming from a bulk of 8 pollen parents. The parent varieties were first crossed in February 2005, with the date of first sowing being February 2006, and the date of first flowering being February 2009. The new apricot variety ‘Suaprieleven’ was first asexually propagated by Terry Bacon near Wasco, Kern County, Calif. in April 2010 by grafting.
The new variety ‘Suaprieleven’ can be distinguished from its seed parent, ‘Suaprinine’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,507) in that the harvest of the fruit of the new variety ‘Suaprieleven’ starts nine days earlier.
The new variety ‘Suaprieleven’ has an orange ground color and abundant red blush compared to a greenish-straw colored background with only slight blush for ‘Poppy’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,593).
The new variety ‘Suaprieleven’ has been shown to maintain its distinguishing characteristics through successive asexual propagations by, for example, grafting.
The new variety ‘Suaprieleven’ has the same seed parent, ‘Suaprinine’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,507), as ‘Suaprithirteen’ (U.S. Ser. No. 13/998,546), and pollen parent comes from the same bulk of 8 pollen parents. ‘Suaprieleven’ and ‘Suaprithirteen’ differ from each other in bloom date, harvest date and fruit weight. The new variety ‘Suaprieleven’ has a bloom date of February 12 while ‘Suaprithirteen’ has a bloom date of February 24. ‘Suaprieleven’ has a harvest date of April 28 compared to May 12 for ‘Suaprithirteen’. The new variety ‘Suaprieleven’ has a fruit weight of 65 grams while ‘Suaprithirteen’ has a fruit weight of 96 grams.